Major Functional Traits Important In Beef Production (2024)

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The major functional traits important in beef production include:

Body Size
Milking Potential
Age At Puberty
Hot Climate Adaptability
Fleshing Ability
Muscle Expression
Cutability
Marbling

Body size is best evaluated as weight at a stated level of condition or body fatness. Weights at all ages tend to be positively related: That is, cattle heavier at birth tend to be heavier throughout life, though there are exceptions. Genetically larger animals usually gain weight faster, and weight and nutritional requirements for body maintenance are closely related. Size is discussed in the Extension publication L-5192, “Body Size and Milking Level for Beef Production.” Frame score, an objective measure of skeletal dimension used to estimate current and future body size, is discussed in the Extension publication L-5176, “Frame Score and Weight of Cattle.”

An important irregularity in Bos indicus occurs in body size relationships. Calves from dams containing Bos indicus inheritance are relatively small at birth, usually causing few difficulties in calving. However, calves by Bos indicus sires out of Bos taurus dams often are relatively large, so calving may be more difficult.

Milking potential is the genetic capability to produce milk. This is not actual volume of milk produced, which also is influenced by the cow’s nutrition and the calf’s growth potential and nursing pressure. To characterize milking potential accurately, evaluate it relative to body size. Higher-milking females need more nutrients for body maintenance and require higher-quality diets, even when not lactating. Again, consult L-5192, “Body Size and Milking Level for Beef Production.”

Age at puberty relates to body size, milking potential, and genetic classification. Smaller individuals and highermilking types usually mature earlier, whereas Bos indicus mature relatively late. Higher-milking females, even large ones, often reach puberty and conceive when relatively young. But because they may become thin after beginning lactation, subsequent fertility can suffer. Although Bos indicus types reach puberty relatively late, their productive life usually is longer.

Hot climate adaptability is highest in cattle with Bos indicus inheritance, but some Bos taurus are reasonably heat tolerant or tropically adapted. Animals with lightercolored, short hair coats and dark skin are most adapted. High humidity intensifies effects of heat, especially since hot, humid climates often add the stresses of parasites and low-quality forage. Heat with humidity stresses cattle that fail to shed long, thick hair coats, particularly dark-colored ones. As might be expected, animals tolerant to hot climates are less adapted to cold.

Fleshing ability is the body’s capacity to fatten and retain fat. Fleshing ability tends to drop with increases in genetic body size, maintenance requirements relative to size, milking level, and inherent muscularity. Animals poorly adapted to their environment generally are low in fleshing ability. Bos indicus often flesh easier than other types on low-quality forage and roughage. Easy-fleshing cattle tolerate periods of nutritional energy deficiency more easily and therefore may reproduce more consistently, but they also over fatten more readily in the feedyard unless properly managed.

Muscle expression is inherent muscularity, independent of other body tissues. Muscling is the second most important factor in cutability. Heavy-muscled types often are low in fleshing ability, so reproductive efficiency may be reduced.

Cutability, or percentage of lean, is usually evaluated in slaughter cattle as USDA Yield Grade. Cutability depends on relative amounts of fat (which varies greatly), muscle, and bone (which varies least). When genetic types or breeds are compared for differences in cutability, it is assumed that the breeds have similar nutrition levels. But producers can readily alter inherent cutability differences by varying nutrition to achieve similar degrees of fatness. Marbling, or intramuscular fat, is the primary factor determining USDA Quality Grade, an indicator of the palatability factors of tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

Marbling increases with age up to physiological maturity and generally is higher in earlier-maturing and higher-milking types. Bos indicus and most heavy-muscled, low-milking types have relatively low marbling. Because marbling relates somewhat to body fatness, especially in comparing breeds or types, there is usually a trade-off between yield grade and quality grade. As one increases, the other declines.